Developing and printing apparatus



March 26, 1957 A. BRIGGS ET AL 2,786,401

DEVELOPING AND PRINTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1953 vInventors LLOYD A. BRIGGS WILLIAM M, Ls hRER BURTON DEISNER M fin March26, 1957 L. A. BRIGGS ETAL 2,786,401

DEVELOPING AND PRINTING APPARATUS Filed June 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Inventors JLLOYD A. BRIGGS WILLIAM M. LEhRER BURTON D. EISNER UnitedStates Patent DEVELOPING AND PRINTING APPARATUS Lloyd A. Briggs, WilliamM. Lehrer, and Burton D. Eisner, Chicago, lll., assiguors, by mesneassignments, to American Photocopy Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application June 11, 1953, Serial No. 361,052

1 Claim. (Cl. 95-89) This invention relates to improvements indeveloperprinters, and more particularly, to a novel construction of themeans utilized for guiding an exposed undeveloped negative sheet and asheet of positive print paper through the developer-printer.

The developer-printer embodying the present invention is designed toreceive an exposed undeveloped negative sheet and a sheet ofphoto-sensitive print paper, with their emulsion sides facing eachother, and immersing the sheets in a developing and fixing solution asthey pass through the machine, after which they are engaged betweenwringer-feed rollers which pull the sheets through the solution andpress them together tightly so as to squeeze substantially all of thesolution therefrom and discharge substantially dry sheets. Thedischarged developed sheets (positive and negative) then are peeledapart and left to dry out completely.

The developer-printer apparatus is provided with novel guide means tohold the two sheets spaced apart while they are moving through thesolution and to bring them substantially into face-to-face contact priorto their becoming engaged between the wringer-feed rollers. When saidguides consist of relatively wide straps of stiff material, over thesurfaces of which the sheets are moved, experience has established thatthe wide contact surface of the strap-guides is not conducive to goodphoto copies, primarily because said straps become coated with solids inthe solution, some of which adhere to the back faces of the sheets andcause discoloration. The apparatus of this invention includes guideswhich are so arranged that only minimum surface contact is had with thesheets. It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide adeveloper-printer with such guide means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide structure which isvery rugged and most unlikely to become damaged, should it bemishandled.

Another object is to provide a guide structure including associatedguide straps arranged edgewise so as to reduce the amount of surfacecontact and, consequently, friction between the guides and the sheets ofpaper being guided thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide assembly toreceive sheets of paper initially spaced apart which assemblyprogressively carries said sheets toward one another, so that they aresubstantially in face-to-face contact when leaving the guides, tothereby insure their joint eng gement between associated wringer-feedrollers without slipping.

Another object is to provide a guide frame assembly which is notexpensive to manufacture, is easy to assemble and mount in place, and ishighly efficient in operation.

Wi h the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescrintion proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel fe turesof construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fullydescribed, il-

lustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out inthe appended claim, it being understood that various changes in theform, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be madewithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, wehave illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodimentthereof, from an inspection of which when considered in connection withthe following description, our invention, its mode of construction,assembly and operation, and many of its advantages, should be readilyunderstood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference areemployed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout theseveral figures of the draw- 1ngs:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a developer-printer embodying the features ofthe invention and showing the cover removed.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken substantially online 22 of Fig. l and showing the cover in position.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the guide members embodying thefeatures of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the guide members.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the developerprinter comprises asubstantially rectangular, shallow housing having a hingedly mountedcover thereon, the latter being provided with a longitudinally extendingslot to admit into the housing interior an undeveloped exposed negativesheet and a sheet of print paper, and a second longitudinal slotconstituting an exit opening for said sheets. More specifically, thehousing 11 is substantially rectangular in shape and may have formed onits bottom wall a plurality of foot-bearing protuberances 12, eachcarrying a cushioned pad 13, affording means for supporting the housingupon a surface. The top of the housing is open and is adapted to beclosed by a cover 14, the latter having an oblong configuration andbeing provided with a depending marginal flange 15 to embrace the uppermargins of the housing walls when in closed position.

It is preferred that the cover be hingedly mounted to the housing, as at16, so that it may be swung easily and quickly into open and closedpositions. Means is provided also, in the form of a digitally operablelatch 17, whereby the cover may be detachably locked in closed position.The cover 14 has a pair of longitudinally extending slots 18 and 19formed thereon. The slot 18 is located adjacent the front or latchededge of the cover and it constitutes the entrance opening for the sheetsto be processed. The other slot 19 is located substantially midwaybetween the front and back edges of the cover 14 and constitutes theexit opening through which the processed sheets are discharged. Bethslots may have their edges curved or arched inwardly, as shown, so as toresent a stre mline appearance to the apparatus as a whole, and further.to avoid injury such as might be caused were sharo edges present.

The housing 11 constitutes an enclosure for a container 21. Thiscontainer is substantially rectan ular in shape and preferably includesa flat bott m wall 22 and an inclined front wall 23. The container maybe fabricated from any suitable sheet stock and is adapted to contain adeveloping and fixing solution, the norm l level of wh ch is locatedsubstantially along the line 24 (Fig. 2). The container 21 is removablymounted in the housing 11, preferably by means of studs 25 which aremounted in and extend upwardly from the bottom wall' of the housing It.Eachstud 25 has a reduced diameter which fits into a socket 26 carriedby the container bottom wall 22. It should be quite evident that whenthe cover 14 is swung into an open position, the container 21 may belifted out of the housing. This mode of assembly has proven to be veryadvantageous because it enables the operator to remove the container fordisposal of the solution therein without disturbing the housing andother elements carried thereon. When the apparatus is in use the coveris closed.

It has been stated previously that apparatus is adapted to receive forimmersion into the developing and fixing solution an exposed,undeveloped negative sheet and an unexposed sensitive sheet of positiveprint paper. The practice of this so-called one-step developing processrequires that the two sheets be fed simultaneously into the solution ata predetermined rate of speed and that said sheets be held out ofcontact with each other, while immersed, until such time as such sheetshave absorbed a required amount of the developing-fixing solution. Thefeeding of the sheets into the solution is done manually through theentrance slit 18, and when the sheets rea'th a predetermined positionwithin the apparatus they are engaged by wringer-feed rollers. Theserollers, later described in detail, eject the sheets from the apparatusthrough the exit slot 19 after pressing them tightly together andwringing substantially all of the solution therefrom. For this purpose anovel sheet guide and wringer-feed mechanism is mounted within thecontainer 23. This mechanism is embodied in a novel frame structure thatis removably supported within said container 23 and may be secured inplace therein.

Upon referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the frame structure includes end plates27 held in spaced relation by a tierod 28 and bars or channel members 29and 31. The channel member 29 is mounted upon the top edges of the endplates 27, said edges being formed with perpendicular flanges 32, towhich the channel 29 is secured as by screws 33. The channel member 31is secured by screws 34 to flanges 35 formed on the ends of the endplates 27 adjacent to the channel 29. It will be noted that the sideflange 36 of the channel 29 aligns substantially with one edge of theentrance opening 18 in cover 14, and that the other channel 31 isdisposed below said opening. This disposition of the channels iseffected by mounting the frame structure in the container 21 angu larly,as best shown in Fig. 2. When so mounted, the longitudinally protrudingends 28a (Fig. l) of the tierod 28 are seated in sockets formed on theupper edges of brackets 37 secured to the end walls of the container 21and extending upwardly therefrom.

The channel 29 has firmly secured thereon, as by means of screws 38, astrap 39, the ends of which are offset inwardly toward the channel sideflange 36 so as to locate the intermediate portion of said strap spaceda suitable distance from said flange. The strap 39 has formed integrallytherewith a guide means in the form of a plurality of fingers 41, whichproject downwardly from the lower edge thereof and have their endportions bent slightly in the direction of the channel 29, as indicatedat 42. The purpose of these fingers will become apparent as thedescription proceeds.

The channel 29 is also provided with another guide means in the form ofa plurality of depending members or guide elements 43 uniformly spacedapart longitudinally. Each of these members consists of a piece of sheetstock having a strap-like body portion 44 flanged as at 45 (Fig. 4) topermit spot-Welding, or otherwise securing them to the channel 29. Eachmember 43 terminates at its lower end in a perpendicular portion 46, andhas a curved edge 47 merging with a straight edge 48 as it approachesits extreme end. A tie-bar 49 bridges all of the members 43 adjacenttheir free ends andis secured to each of saidmembers in any suitablemanner, so as to impart rigidity thereto and to maintain said membersspaced apart uniformly.

The other channel 31 is provided with still another guide means in theform of a plurality of guide members or elements 50, each of whichincludes a main portion 51, which is welded or otherwise firmly securedto the channel 31 in such manner as to dispose portions thereof aboveand below the channel 31. The portions of the members it) which extendabove the channel 31 project into the entrance opening 18. Each of themembers 50 has a perpendicular portion 52, each of which extendsdownwardly and rearwardly to underlie one of the curved perpendicularportions of the members 43. The upper edge of each of the portions 52 ofmembers 50 is curved so as to gradually reduce the space between saidedge and the edges 74S of the related guide member 43 as the extremeterminal of the member 43 is approached. This is perhaps bestillustrated in Fig. 2 where it will be observed that at the terminalportion 53 of the guide member prrtion 52, the space between the opposededges cf the ports 43 and St) is reduced considerably, as compared tothe space between said parts in the region of the channels 29 and 31. Atie-bar 54 welded or otherwise secured to the terminal portion 53 ofmembers 52 aidSin holding the portions against displacement.

When the sheets which have been inserted through the entrance opening 18are pushed downwardly between the guides 4-1, and 50 into the solution,they ultimately are carried rearwardly and upwardly, as viewed in Fig.2, into position for engagement by the wringing-feed rollers 5556. Theserollers 55 and 56 extend longitudinally between the frame end plates 27and are journaled therein adjacent the upper portion thereof asillustrated. They are geared together as by means of gears 57 and 58.

Any power-operated or manually-actuated means may be provided to rotatethe rollers 55 and 56. It is preferred, however, that a suitableelectrically powered motor 59 be mounted in the housing 11. The motoris, of course, enclosed Within a casing which has an opening 61 therein,through which one of a train of gears enclosed in the casing may beexposed to mesh with a gear 62 carried on the projecting end 63 of theshaft supporting the roller 56. This construction affords easy and readyremoval of the guide frame assembly without requiring dismantling of themotor casing. It should be quite evident that re-assembly of the guideframe structure and container may be accomplished very readily by simplylocating the projecting end portions 28a of the tie-rod 23 in therecesses provided therefor in the brackets 37 on the end walls of thecontainer 21 and permitting the frame assembly to then drop intoposition; the gear 62 automatically meshing with corresponding gear ofthe gear train.

It is believed that our invention, its mode of construction andassembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood fromthe foregoing Without further description, and it should also bemanifest that while a single preferred embodiment of the invention hasbeen shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structuraldetails are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview ofour invention as defined in the appended claim.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

A photographic processing apparatus comprising a container for holding aphotographic processing solution, a pair of mutually engaging rollersrotatably mounted within the container, drive means for rotatingsaidrollers, and a plurality of spaced guide means for guiding photographicstrips or sheets in a path extending down- Wardly into said solution andthen upwardly out of said solution and between said rollers, one of saidguide means comprising a plurality of flat planar elements mutuallyspaced from each other in a direction transverse to said path, each of.said elements lying in a plane perpendicular to said path and parallelto the planes of said other elements, said elements being relativelywide in the direction parallel to said planes and being relatively thinin the direction perpendicular to said planes, each of said elementshaving a relatively thin curved edge along the upper surface thereof forcontacting and guiding the lower surface of a photographic strip orsheet, said curved edges being parallel to each other throughout theirlengths and extending substantially throughout said path, a second ofsaid guide means comprising a plurality of flat planar elements mutuallyspaced from each other in a direction transverse to said path, each ofsaid elements of said second guide means lying in a plane perpendicularto said path and parallel to the planes of the other of saidlast-recited elements, said last-recited elements being relatively widein the direction parallel to said planes and being relatively thin inthe direction perpendicular to said planes, each of said last-recitedelements having a relatively thin edge along the lower surface thereoffor contacting and guiding the upper surface of a photographic strip orsheet, said last-recited edges being curved throughout a substantialportion of their lengths and being parallel to each other throughouttheir lengths and extending substantially throughout said path, a thirdof said guide means comprising a plurality of fingers rnutually spacedfrom each other in a direction transverse to said path and extendingdownwardly from above the level of said solution to a point below saidlevel, said fingers being shorter than said elements and extendingthrough only the initial portion of said path, each of said fingerslying in a common plane parallel to said path, said fingers beingrelatively wide in the direction parallel to said last-recited plane andbeing relatively thin in the direction perpendicular to saidlast-recited plane, each of said fingers having relatively flat planarupper and lower surfaces for contacting and separating the adjacentsurfaces of a pair of superimposed photographic strips or sheets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS717,021 Pollak Dec. 30, 1902 1,261,926 Greene Apr. 9, 1918 1,493,866Parkes May 13, 1924 l,832,297 Greene Nov. 17, 1931 2,657,618 EisbeinNov. 3, 1953 2,664,801 Eisbein Jan. 5, 1954 2,685,831 Standberg Sept. 7,1954 2,688,281 Bornemann Sept. 7, 1954 2,732,778 Limberger Jan. 31, 19562,742,838 Paulas Apr. 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 269,199 Switzerland Oct.2, 1950 804,890 Germany May 4, 1951 515,587 Belgium Oct. 29, 1952848,013 Germany Dec. 11, 1952

